View source for USS Schroeder

{{Short description|Fletcher-class destroyer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
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{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Schroeder (DD-501) underway in the Pacific Ocean on 9 October 1945.jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Schroeder'' in October 1945
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship name=''Schroeder''
|Ship namesake=[[Seaton Schroeder]] 
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company]], [[Kearny, New Jersey]]
|Ship laid down= 25 June 1942
|Ship launched= 11 November 1942
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=1 January 1943
|Ship decommissioned=29 April 1946
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=1 October 1972
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=Sold for scrap, 1 January 1974
|Ship notes=
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class={{sclass|Fletcher|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement=2,050&nbsp;tons
|Ship length={{convert|376|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|39|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|17|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion={{convert|60000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}; 2 propellers
|Ship speed={{convert|35|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship range={{convert|6500|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=336
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament= {{Fletcher class destroyer armament}} 
|Ship armour=
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'''USS ''Schroeder'' (DD-501)''', a {{sclass|Fletcher|destroyer}}, was a ship of the [[United States Navy]], named for Rear Admiral [[Seaton Schroeder]] (1849&ndash;1922). Entering service in 1943, the ship saw action during [[World War II]], participating in the [[Battle of Tarawa]]. Following the war the destroyer was placed in reserve, remaining in this state until 1972. She was sold for [[Ship breaking|scrap]] in 1974.

==Construction and career==
''Schroeder'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 25 June 1942 by the [[Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company]] [[Kearny, New Jersey]] and [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 11 November 1942, sponsored by Miss Grace Wainwright Schroeder. The destroyer was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 1 January 1943.

=== 1943 ===

''Schroeder'' provided escort for two separate [[aircraft carrier]]s making shakedown cruises to the [[Caribbean]] and a [[convoy]] of merchant ships bound for [[Casablanca]] before steaming to the Pacific.

After an overhaul at [[Mare Island Navy Yard]], she steamed west and joined [[Destroyer Squadron 25]] (DesRon 25) at [[Pearl Harbor]] on 28 July 1943. ''Schroeder'' assisted in screening the carrier task force which attacked [[Marcus Island]] on 1 September. While bombarding [[Wake Island]] early the next month, she was taken under fire for the first time but suffered no casualties.

After the Wake Island bombardment, ''Schroeder'' sailed to the [[New Hebrides Islands]] for training with amphibious forces. In early November, she joined the [[Gilbert Islands]] invasion force. On the morning of 20 November, ''Schroeder'' was in the bombardment group that shelled the eastern coast of [[Tarawa Atoll]]. She entered the lagoon early the next morning to provide fire support for the [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] [[Battle of Tarawa|landing on Tarawa]]. In addition to fire support, the destroyer also acted as a [[first aid]] ship for wounded Marines. ''Schroeder'' departed Tarawa on 24 November for Pearl Harbor for repairs, as she had damaged her screws on a [[coral]] [[reef]] in the lagoon.

=== 1944 ===

''Schroeder'' was back with her division, on 1 February 1944, when it screened transports and provided fire support for the [[Battle of Kwajalein|assault on Kwajalein Island]]. She remained in the [[Marshall Islands|Marshalls]] for several weeks and, from 20 to 24 February, bombarded [[Maloelap]] and [[Wotje]] Atolls. On 1 March, she sailed to the New Hebrides Islands where she participated in more training exercises.

On 20 March, ''Schroeder'' and her division bombarded Japanese coast defenses at [[Kavieng]], [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]], with nearly 900 rounds of ammunition; departing for [[Efate]] in the evening.

''Schroeder'' loaded ammunition at [[Espiritu Santo]] and on 1 April, escorted ''Pocomoke'' and SS ''Red Rover'' to [[Guadalcanal]]; joined a merchant convoy there, and escorted it to [[Milne Bay]], [[New Guinea]]. Later in the month, she participated in the bombardment of enemy positions at [[Jayapura|Hollandia]]; and, then screened transports and [[Landing Ship, Tank|LST]]s at [[Teluk Yos Sudarso|Humboldt Bay]]. She performed fighter director duties until 30 April when she departed with a convoy for [[Cape Sudest]] and, later, to [[Buna, Papua New Guinea|Buna]].

''Schroeder'' operated in the [[Purvis Bay]]-Guadalcanal area until she departed for [[Kwajalein]], on 4 June, as a unit of Task Group 53.1 (TG&nbsp;53.1). The TG was at [[Eniwetok]] on 28 June where ''Schroeder'' underwent a period of upkeep and logistics.

On 11 July the DD and her division departed for the [[Mariana Islands]]. From 16 to 20 July, the division bombarded the Tumon area of [[Guam]]. ''Schroeder'' then served on picket duty until 4 August when she escorted a convoy back to Eniwetok. After returning to Espiritu Santo for a period of upkeep and logistics, she sailed for Humboldt Bay on 22 August.

''Schroeder'' was assigned to TG&nbsp;77.5 which sortied, on 13 September, for the invasion of [[Morotai]], [[Netherlands East Indies]]. She screened LSTs in their approach to [[Pitoe Bay]] and then served on picket duty until departing for Humboldt Bay on 21 September.

The destroyer sailed, on 13 October, with TF&nbsp;78 for [[Panoan Island]], [[Philippines|P.I.]] She entered [[Leyte Gulf]] at midnight, 19 October, with a group of transports, and, the next morning, began performing [[Antisubmarine warfare|ASW]] and fighter director duties. On 25 October, she withdrew from the area and sailed for San Francisco. She arrived there on 23 November and underwent a period of overhaul and availability.

=== 1945 ===

On 11 January 1945, ''Schroeder'' moved down the coast to [[San Diego]]. Departing there on 20 January, the veteran destroyer was back in [[Ulithi]] on 7 February where she joined TF&nbsp;58, the [[Fast Carrier Task Force]]. The task force sortied on 10 February. On 16 and 17 February, the carriers launched attacks against airfields, aircraft factories, and shipping in the Tokyo area. The next day, the flattops launched strikes against the [[Volcano Islands]] in preparation for the forthcoming assault against that Japanese bastion.

''Schroeder'' returned to Ulithi in early March, but, by 23 March, was again operating off the Japanese home islands. Detached from the task group on 31 March, she and {{USS|Murray|DD-576|2}} proceeded to Ulithi. She sailed from there on 10 April as a unit of TG&nbsp;50.8, which was proceeding to [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] to support the landings there. On 16 April, the destroyer, supporting the landing on [[Ie Shima]], was at general quarters nine different times to repel enemy air attacks. Five days later, ''Schroeder'' with DesDiv 49, bombarded the western side of [[Minami Daito Shima]]. The bombardment caused many fires ashore but brought no return gunfire from the enemy positions.

''Schroeder'' returned to Ulithi, from 27 April to 9 May, for a period of upkeep, replenishment, and recreation. She rejoined the fast carriers three days later as they conducted bombing and photographic missions over [[Kyūshū]]. Four days later, they supported the troops on southern Okinawa.

Task Force 58 entered [[San Pedro Bay (Philippines)|San Pedro Bay]], on 13 June for an upkeep period. It sortied on 1 July, and, on 10 July, the carriers launched sustained strikes against Tokyo. On 17–18 July, strikes were launched against targets in the Tokyo-[[Yokohama]] area. On 31 July ''Schroeder'' shelled [[Shimizu, Shizuoka|Shimizu]], [[Honshū]] Island.

On 6 September, with hostilities ended, the task force entered [[Tokyo Bay]] and dissolved its units. ''Schroeder'' was ordered to join TF&nbsp;11 at Okinawa and proceed to Pearl Harbor. She departed Pearl Harbor on 1 October, with orders assigning her to the east coast. On 2 November 1945, the destroyer entered the [[Charleston Navy Yard]], [[South Carolina]], and prepared for deactivation.

''Schroeder'' was decommissioned on 29 April 1946 and placed in the [[Atlantic Reserve Fleet]]. She remained in reserve until 1 October 1972 when she was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register|Navy List]]. ''Schroeder'' was sold to Southern Materials Co., Ltd., [[New Orleans]], Louisiana, on 1 January 1974.
<!--
navsource.org: 
Decommissioned 23 March 1946.
Stricken 1 October 1972.
Fate Sold 2 January 1974 and broken up for scrap.
-->

==Honors==
''Schroeder'' received 10 [[battle star]]s for [[World War II]] service.

== References ==
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/schroeder.html}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/501.htm        navsource.org: USS ''Schroeder'']
*[http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd501txt.htm  hazegray.org: USS ''Schroeder'']

{{Fletcher class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schroeder (DD-501)}}
[[Category:World War II destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Kearny, New Jersey]]
[[Category:1942 ships]]
[[Category:Fletcher-class destroyers of the United States Navy]]